Drought retains grip on Upper Midwest

Drought conditions in the Upper Midwest are virtually unchanged from a week ago.

By:
Agweek Staff Report, Agweek

Drought conditions in the Upper Midwest are virtually unchanged from a week ago. All of South Dakota and Minnesota remain in drought, as does most of North Dakota and half of Montana, according to the weekly report released Jan. 3 by the U.S. Drought Monitor, a partnership of federal and academic scientists.

Thirty-one percent of South Dakota, primarily in the south central part of the state, remains exceptionally dry, the most severe of four drought categories. Another 32 percent of South Dakota, primarily the central and southwest part of the state, remains extremely dry, the second most severe drought category.

None of Minnesota is exceptionally dry. A quarter of the state is extremely dry; chunks of north central and southwest Minnesota fall into this category.

Eighty-nine percent of North Dakota is in drought. None of the state is exceptionally or extremely dry. Parts of central and west-central North Dakota are free of drought.

Drought exists in 47.4 percent of Montana, primarily in the southern half of the state. None of the state is exceptionally dry. An area in south-central Montana, about 8 percent of the state, is extremely dry.